


the child of a frog is

by makiyakinabe



Category: Kekkaishi
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, Family, Gen, Generation Swap, now with a note at the beginning and very very minor changes, shichirou is on a sugar high, unreliable summary thing is unreliable
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-01
Updated: 2013-09-01
Packaged: 2017-12-25 07:18:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/950254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makiyakinabe/pseuds/makiyakinabe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ryouko, what should I do?</p>
            </blockquote>





	the child of a frog is

**Author's Note:**

> It occurred to me (two months after posting this thing, yeah) that I should probably include a note about who on earth these people are, given that none of them appeared in the anime (which wrapped up at chapter 121), so here it is:
> 
> Ougi Nizou is the father of Ougi Ichirou, and he first appeared in chapter 279 of the manga.
> 
> Ougi Shichirou is Nizou's seventh son (and Ichirou's younger brother), and his first appearance was in chapter 242.
> 
> Shijima is Shichirou's servant and he first appeared in chapter 281.
> 
> Ougi Rokurou (apparently I forgot to include his name in the tags?) is Nizou's sixth son and he first appeared in chapter 181.

In the time he’s supposed to be poring over _A Learner’s Guide to Clan History - Heian Period_ , Nizou stands instead in front of _otou-san_ ’s office with his feet well above the ground. Paying no mind to Shijima’s frantic gestures, he pulls open the door without so much as a knock—

Only to find the grownup making his pen do cartwheels atop his paperwork. Nizou makes a face at the sight.

Arms folded, he glides across the room to hover above the desk, his dangling feet narrowly missing a stack of papers. “Aren’t you supposed to be working, _otou-san_?”

The pen backflips into an outstretched hand.

“I could say the same about you, Nizou _-kun_ ,” says the other, leaning forwards with a smile. “Aren’t you supposed to be having a lesson?”

Before he can think of a proper comeback, however, Shijima has rushed over to them and flung an arm in front of his face.

“Shichirou _-sama_. Please accept my utmost apologies—not only have I been unable to bring the young master back to the study, but I’ve also failed to prevent him from disturbing your work. As such, I will gladly accept whatever punishment you have to offer!” Taking a deep breath, Shijima pulls back his arm to adjust his glasses, exhales. “On an unrelated topic, Shichirou _-sama_ … I would like you to know that your earlier display with the pen was incredible.”

“Thank you, Shijima _-kun_.” And here _otou-san_ winks at Nizou. “If you’re expecting a punishment from me, however, I’m afraid you’ll have to be disappointed. You were only looking after Nizou _-kun_ to the best of your ability—Not exactly something I can fault you for, is it? I’d like to have a word with him, so I don’t suppose you’d mind giving us some space…?”

A minute later finds the two trying to stare each other down once more. Still smiling, the grownup leans back in his seat.

“Well? What is it that you want to talk to me about?” When Nizou drops eyes to the floor, mumbling words no-one else can hear, he shakes his head. “You’ll have to speak up. I wouldn’t know what’s going through your mind otherwise—Ah, unless you actually _do_ want me to explain the importance of maintaining a good attendance record…?”

Nizou wrinkles his nose. “Don’t be silly, _otou-san_. No-one else takes as much breaks as you do.”

An exaggerated gasp. “Did you hear that, Ryouko? Our son is actually being rude to me! His own father! Who could’ve thought I’d ever live to see the day—” The rest of the sentence dissolves into a soundless cry as he toes the topside of the stack. “Never mind! I take that back, I promise to listen properly—so why don’t you calm down? And move your foot away from my paperwork, while you’re at it?”

He scowls, but does as asked.

Fixes eyes on _otou-san_ as he says, “I want to know why I have so much lessons.”

“ _Well_.” With a shrug, the grownup holds out his hands. “I’m afraid that’s because you’re my son, and I’m the head of clan. In case you’ve forgotten, Nizou _-kun_ , your father is a very important man.”

Nizou’s scowl deepens. “ _Onii-san_ doesn’t have to take as much lessons as I do. And don’t say it’s because his birthday’s coming soon,” he adds, when the other opens his mouth. “I never got breaks from class before _my_ birthday. What makes him so special?”

 

* * *

 

Just as Shijima’s closing the door to a still-intact office, the western-style lounge a floor above finds Rokurou _-ji-chan_ almost tripping over Tenzou on the way to the sofa. Lifting his head from the sheet of paper before him, Tenzou watches, wide-eyed, as the other opens his mouth in a snarl—

Before a gust of wind carries him over.

The grownup lowers feet onto ground a good distance away and looks up at the ceiling. Clears his throat. “It’s the perfect weather for a walk,” he begins.

“But _ji-chan_ , I didn’t finish my drawing yet!” Putting on his best pout, Tenzou holds up the paper, waves his arm until the other relieves him of it. “It’s what I’m going to look like on my birthday. What do you think? Cool, huh?” When Rokurou _-ji-chan_ stays silent, keeping his face behind the sheet, Tenzou’s brow furrows. “ _Ji-chan?_ ”

The other tries to say something, only to wind up sounding as though something got stuck in his throat.

“It’s… nice,” he manages at last. Walks over and stoops to return the self-portrait. “You can show it to your father later. Don’t give me that look, Tenzou _-kun_ —you’ve seen the state of his desk. The sooner you put your things away, the sooner you can go back to your drawing later. The walk won’t take more than a few minutes.”

“Can’t we talk here instead?”

A cough makes Tenzou look up from the paper.

“I must admit, there’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about, but… haven’t found the chance to, before now. Besides, we can both use the fresh air.”

He puffs out his cheeks. “Is this about who _tou-chan_ ’s going to choose to be the future successor? It’s okay, _ji-chan_ , you don’t have to tell me—it can’t be anyone but Nizou, right?”

“To think that I’ve been pulling my hair out over how to break the news to you…” A sigh. “Yes. Nizou _-kun_ is the one chosen. But that’s not all I wanted to say.” With this, the other puts a hand on his nearest shoulder. “Listen carefully, Tenzou _-kun_ : your brother’s future has already been decided for him. Yours hasn’t. So if there’s something you want to do, I say go for it.”

He peers up into Rokurou _-ji-chan_ ’s eyes. “Anything?”

“Nothing reckless and stupid, of course.” _Ji-chan_ ’s hand squeezes his shoulder for all but a moment before letting go. “Successor or no, you’ll always be Shichirou’s son. Remember that. People will be watching you closely, even after your brother’s appointment ceremony—no, _especially_ then. But other than that, so long as you don’t bring shame upon our clan, I suppose anything goes. What do you have in mind?”

And in the blink of an eye he’s scrambled into a sitting position, clasping the other’s large hand in both his own.

“I want to be an actor! Like Kinoshita Eisuke from _Autumn on the Wind_!”

 

* * *

 

Shichirou holds back a sigh when the door to his office reopens with a bang, the consequent impact making the neat stacks of papers on his desk quiver a bit too dangerously for his liking. And just when he’s mentally prepared himself to start going through them, too…

He raises an eyebrow as Rokurou _-nii-san_ crosses the floor in five steps, pulling by the hand a rather bemused Tenzou. _Nii-san_ glares at him before he can open his mouth.

“Lazing around again, I see. Some role model you are. Why don’t you act like a father for once and have a nice, sensible conversation with your son about his future goals instead of _filling his head with weird ideas_.” Briefly closing his eyes, the other takes a deep breath and lets go of Tenzou’s hand. Moves back a step. “There are documents that need cataloguing. I’ll see you both at dinner.”

In the next instant the door’s slammed shut, leaving the duo to stare at its back with widened eyes.

Tenzou is the first to recover, his entire face lighting up due to some sudden thought. Flying up to the desk, his son stands on tip-toes and holds out a sheet of paper. “ _Tou-chan_ , look! Isn’t this cool?”

“Very,” he says, once he’s gotten the drawing in his hands. Pauses to give it a closer inspection. “I like the horn sprouting out of your left hand.”

“But it’s a fang, _tou-chan_!”

Stifling a smile, he nods and gives back the sheet. Puts on a grave expression. “Ten _-chan_ , can you please to tell me just what happened between you and Rokurou _-nii-san_?”

Blinking, the said child holds up a hand. “ _Ji-chan_ wanted to go out for a walk—I showed him my drawing—He still wanted to go—I told him I already know—He said I can do anything.” His brow furrows as he looks at his hand. Having folded a finger into his palm with each listed item, he now finds it curled into a fist.

“Anything?” echoes Shichirou with the quirk of an eyebrow. At the nod from Tenzou he leans forward, smiling. “Well? What is it that you want to do?”

Eyes shining, the child puts his hands flat on the desk. “I want to be like Kinoshita Eisuke!”

Shichirou leans into his seat, fingers laced, and hums. “So you want to act in films… is that right, Ten _-chan_?” At the positive answer, he beams himself. “In that case, I don’t see what there is to worry about! If Ryouko was here, she’d be more than glad to hear what you’ve just told me. Your mother loved to watch films—ah, speaking of which, did I ever tell you about the time I got a signed photograph from Iwao Kinue herself?”

Instead of nodding, however, Tenzou puffs out his cheeks and balls little hands up into fists. “You did, _tou-chan_! A hundred times over! Don’t you remember any of them?” Unaware of Shichirou’s dropped jaw, he sighs and shakes his head. “Even _ji-chan_ is better than you at remembering things. Aren’t you supposed to be younger than him, _tou-chan_?”

The question sends Shichirou sliding down his seat, a hand clutched over his heart. His woeful eyes turn skywards.

“Ryouko, what should I do? Who would’ve thought that _both_ our sons could be so mean to their father…!”

 

* * *

 

No sooner has Rokurou gotten settled on a sofa, a sizeable book in hand, than there comes a knock on the door. He sighs. The book is set on his lap, his hands folded atop the front cover. “Come in,” he says aloud, and has to keep an eyebrow from rising when _Nizou_ is the one walking into his study…

“Good afternoon, Nizou _-kun_.” A pause. “Where’s your tutor?”

The other stops a ways from the sofa and, standing taller, spends a moment trying to fold his arms while holding onto a book of his own. “Don’t know,” he says at last. “I promised to memorize seven important dates from the Meiji era if he stopped bothering me for an hour.”

“I see.” Rokurou clears his throat. Raises his hand, waves it in a circle. “Take a seat wherever you like.”

The child does as prompted, settling in beside him with barely any space between them. Wrapping arms around his book, he holds it close before lifting his head. Peers at Rokurou from beneath his fringe.

“ _Onii-san_ wants to be an actor.”

Rokurou winces. Crosses his arms with a sigh. “I must admit, I… may have overreacted considerably. To tell you the truth, I have nothing whatsoever against such a career choice. I just wish that your brother would give at least _some_ thought to his circumstances before making up his mind. What if he accidentally unleashes his powers while on the set—”

“Breaking all the cameras,” Nizou pipes up, eyes gleaming.

A nod. “The building and surrounding area at which he films probably wouldn’t survive the experience unscathed, either—”

“There’d be debris flying _everywhere_ —”

“Not to mention there’d also be his co-workers to think about. The casualties alone would be enough to land Tenzou _-kun_ on the front page of the national newspapers. Maybe even some of those foreign ones, come to think of it—”

“Andshame would befall our clan,” recites Nizou with a clap of his hands. Rokurou uncovers his face, has just begun to smile when Nizou sucks in his cheeks, adding, “But _onii-san_ probably won’t give up that easily. I think he’s serious about this, _oji-san_ : he always tries to watch _Autumn on the Wind_ to the end. Even when it’s not his birthday.” Chin resting atop his book, his nephew looks sideways at him.

Rokurou rolls his eyes. “If that’s what he really wants, then so be it. I just don’t want to see the branch families descending on your brother like a pack of wolves if I—and your father—can help it. He’s naïve enough as it is…” The scowl he’s been giving the armrest slips when the top corners of a book dig into his forearm. “What is it, Nizou _-kun_?”

The other doesn’t so much as blink as he holds out the culprit. “There’s a lot of words in here that I’ve never seen before. Would you please read the third chapter to me, _oji-san_?”

“Of course,” says Rokurou. Gingerly pats Nizou’s ducked head, when the said child leans into his side.

 

* * *

 

Later finds Rokurou at his desk, making a cup of _gyokuro_ for himself when Shichirou comes hurtling through the doors—

And makes a beeline for him, all the while jabbing a finger towards his own face.

“ _Nii-san_ ,” he says, eyes wide, “does this look like the face of an old man to you? I’m serious! Take a good look and give me your honest opinion: do I have any gray or white hairs? Wrinkles? _Sagging skin?_ ”

Rokurou pushes the face away with a grimace. “Shouldn’t you be going to Okuni _-san_ instead?”

“How mean!” Throwing his hands up in the air, Shichirou turns his face towards the nearby window. “You saw the face he made at me, didn’t you, Ryouko? All I asked of him was a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Really, _nii-san_ , you could’ve nodded or shook your head if you didn’t want to voice the answer aloud. Why did you have to rub salt in my wound? Not everyone can look a decade younger like you do!”

“Why do _you_ have to act like an idi—” A pause. Scowling, Rokurou picks up his cup. Downs it in one go before saying, through gritted teeth, “If you were expecting me to say you don’t look a day older than twenty, you should have asked elsewhere. There’s no shortage of clansfolk waiting for a chance to get into your good graces. Or, if a more reliable source of opinion is what you wanted, you could have paid a visit to Mayuka _-sama_.”

A shake of the head. “She’d rather see Nizou _-kun_ than me. I just don’t seem to have the same appeal as I used to. Do you think it’s because I’m a married man?”

“And you’re filling my ears with such drivel _because_ … _?_ ”

“Because Rokurou- _nii-san_ makes the best listener?” The said man bears his teeth. Laughing, Shichirou holds up his hands. “Okay, I take that back! The _real_ reason I came was to talk about Ten _-chan_. I’m curious: why you are so hung up on the idea of him becoming an actor? Isn’t it a good thing that he’s already found a dream of his own? And at so early an age, too?” Eyes flit to hunched shoulders and he adds, voice soft, “You know, _nii-san_ , you should be nicer to Ten _-chan_ if you want to live vicariously through him.”

And Rokurou’s on his feet before he’s even aware of it. “What gave you the delusion— _Why would I ever want to do that?_ Your son is his own person. If he wants nothing more than to set out on his own and live a ridiculously flashylife, then all the best to him! Just don’t expect any sympathy from me if he makes some unbelievably stupid faux-pas and our clan’s name gets dragged through the mud.”

Shichirou catches his hand just as he’s about to step back. Runs a thumb over one of many crisscrossing lines. “I don’t see any reason to worry. Ten _-chan_ is clearly in good hands.” Rokurou turns his face to the side, mumbling something under his breath. Shichirou lifts an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, but could you please say that again? I didn’t quite catch that.”

“How unfortunate,” is all Rokurou says before he pulls back his hand.

And sets about making another cup.

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. Ryouko (諒子)
> 
> 2\. Tenzou (一藏)
> 
> 3\. Kinoshita Eisuke (木下 英祐) and Iwao Kinue (岩生 絹江)
> 
> 4\. Gyokuro: jade dew green tea.
> 
> 5\. Was going to include a cat but somehow it didn't work out.


End file.
